Railroad tie



Aug. 18 1925.

J. H. HOLSTON RAILROAD TIE Filed Oct 20 1924 Patented Aug. 18, 1925.

I UNITE STATES JOHN H. HOLSTON, 0-1? SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA.

RAILROAD TIE.

,Application filed October 20, 1924. Serial No. 744,735.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. HoLsToN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Barbara, in the county of Santa Barbara and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad Ties, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in railroad ties.

It is-an object of the invention to provide an improved railroad tie which employs wooden cushions upon which the rails are supported, and provide means for protecting these cushions from weather.

l A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved means for securing the rails to the ties so that they may be rigidly held in place and may be adjusted laterally to take up any spreading of the rails.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved railroad tie consisting of a metallic base plate upon which are mounted cushions held in place by cushion retaining elements, and upon which cushions there are disposed cover plates upon which the rails are supported, so that the cushions are amply protected. 7

With the foregoing and other-objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and pointed out in the appended claims, reference is made to the accompanying drawing for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of the improved railroad tie;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of one end of the tie;

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved tie consists of a substantially rectangular base plate 10, which has formed integral therewith a plurality of lateral projections designatedat 11, 12 and 13. Upon each end of the base plate 10 there are placed cushions 14, which preferably are formed of wood and have upwardly tapering sides so that each cushion has the form of a 'frustum of a pyramid. Cushion retaining elements generally designated at 15, are placed about the cushions 14 and serve to hold the cushions in place upon the base plate 10,

which cushion retaining element 15 is preferably formed of metal and is in the form allel with the side edges of the base plate 10, are provided with notches 21 which receive the projections 12. The sides 20 of the cushion retaining elements 15 extend downwardly over the sides of the base plate 10 and are provided with extensions 22 which are adapted to be slipped under the projections 11. The projections 18 present downwardly inclined edges 23 which are adapted to engage corresponding edges or surfaces upon the sides 20, so that after the cushions 14 are placed upon the base plate 10 and the cushion retaining element 15 is slipped thereover, the lug or extension 22 is inserted beneath the projection 11, and by forcing the side 16 downwardly the engagement of the inclined surfaces upon the sides 20 and the projections 13 will serve to force the cushion retaining element 15 into tight engagement with the' projections 11 and 12, thereby rigidly holding the cushions 14 and cushion retaining elements 15 in position.

Cover plates 24 are placed upon the top of the cushions 14, which cover plates are provided with downwardly extending flanges 25 adapted to engage the sides of the cushions 14. The cover plates 24 are also provided with grooves 26 adapted to receive the bottom flanges of the rails R. It will be noted that by providing the flanges 25 the cover plates and rails are prevented from moving transversely across the tie, but may move longitudinally thereof. As a means for securing the rails R to the tie, a pair of hooked members 27 and 28 are provided upon each side of the base plate 10, which are adapted to engage the bottom flanges of the rails R.

The hooked members 27 and 28 are pivotally mounted upon the ends of bolts 29 and 80, which bolts constitute spindles extending transversely beneath the base plate 10. Suitable rollers 31 may be mounted upon the spindles 29 and 30, adapted to engage the under surface of the base plate.

Links 32 and 33 are also pivotally mounted upon the ends of the spindles 29 and respectively, and these links extend through bars 34L and 35, resting upon the feet or bottom flanges l8 and 19 of the sides 16 and 17. Suitable nuts 36 and 37 are threaded onto the ends of the links 32 and 33 and serve to draw the spindles 29 and 30 longitudinally of the base plate 10.

As will readily be understood, by tightening the nuts 36 and 37, the spindles 29 and 30 will be drawn away from each other, thereby causing a tension to be placed upon the hooked members 27 and 28, holding the rails It, the cover plates 24;, the cushions 14 and the cushion retaining elements 15 upon the base plate.

If the rails spread from any cause whatsoever, the outer nuts 36 may be loosened and the nuts 3? may be tightened, causing the rails R, the cover plate 24 and the spindles 29 and 30 to move inwardly upon the tie.

As Will readily be appreciated, the improved tie employs Wooden cushions and has all of the advantages of the present Wood tie, together With other features or adjusting the rails and protecting the cushions.

If it is desired to replace the cushions 14, the nuts 36 and 37 may be loosened sufficiently to disengage the hooked members 27 and 28, and swing the portions 34 and out of engagement with the cushion retaining elements. The rails B may then be lifted, the cover plates 21 removed and the cushion retaining elements 15 may then be lifted While a new cushion 14L is being inserted.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction Without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims:

I claim:

1. A railroad tie, comprising a base plate, cushion retaining elements upon said base plate, cushions Within said cushion retaining elements adapted to have rails placed thereabove, and means for securing said rails, cushions and cushion retaining ele ments upon said base plate, said means com prising spindles disposed beneath said base plate, beneath each cushion retaining element, a pair of members secured to the ends of each spindle adapted to engage the rails elements adapted to have rails placed there- 00 above, and means for securing said rails, cushions and cushion retaining elements upon said base plate, said means comprising spindles disposed beneath said base plate, beneath each cushion retaining element, a pair of members secured to the ends of each spindle adapted to engage the rails thereabove, links connected to each spindle, and means for applying tension to each link, and a roller carried by each spindle.

3. A railroad tie, comprising a base plate, cushion retaining elements upon said base plate, cushions Within said cushion reta i'iing elements, cover platesupon said cushions,

' and rails placed upon said cover plates, and

means for securing said rails, cover plates, cushions, cushion retaining elements and base plate together, said means including a pair of spindles disposed beneath said base plate, beneath each cushion, hooked members pivoted to the ends of each spindle adapted to engage the rail thereabove, and means for tightening the said spindles endvvise of the plate.

1. A railroad tie, comprising a base plate, cushion retaining elements upon said base plate, cushions Within said cushion retaining elements, cover plates upon said cushions, and rails placed upon said cover plates, and means for securing said rails, cover plates, cushions, cushion retaining elements and base plate together, said means including a pair of spindles disposed be neath said base plate, beneath each cushion, hooked members pivoted to the ends of each spindle adapted to engage the rail thereabove, and means for tightening the said spindles endvvise of the plate, and rollers carried by said spindles.

5. In a railroad tie, means for securing a rail to the tie, comprising a pair of spindles disposed beneath said tie, members carried by the ends of each spindle adapted to engage the rail, and means for drawing said spindles endWise of the tie.

6. In a railroad tie, means for securing a rail to the tie comprising a pair of spindles disposed beneath said tie, members carried by the ends of each spindle adapted to engage the rail, and means for drawing said spindle endWise of the tie, and rollers carried by each spindle.

7. A railroad tie, comprising a base plate having lateral projections, cushions upon said base plate adapted to support rails, cushion retaining elements mounted upon said base plate adapted to engage said lateral projections, so as to prevent movement of said cushions, and cushion retaining elements relative to said base plate, and means for securing said rails, cushions, cushion retaining elements and base plate together.

8. A railroad tie, comprising a base plate having lateral projections, cushions upon said base plate adapted to support rails, cushion retaining elements mounted upon said base plate adapted to engage said lateral projections, so as to prevent movement of said cushions, and cushion retaining elements relative to said base plate, and means for securing said rails, cushions,

ment of said cushions, said cushion retainl0 ing elements having projections adjacent one end thereof engageable beneath said lateral projections, and means for securing the other ends of said cushion retaining elements to said base plate.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN H. HOLSTON. 

